Bedtime
by Dancing a jig
Summary: Hi! This is my first fic ! It's is a short drabble about matthew with a future child if the CS had ended differently.
1. Chapter 1

Matthew sighed heavily as he dragged his aching feet up the grand steps to the first floor of Downton, teaching his seven year old son to play rugby was more tiring than it seemed when the idea first came to his head late last night.

As he trudged along the corridor towards his sons room he was happy to find him tucked in and sleeping in his large bed. He then wandered further along the corridor where where his little girl slept he was quite annoyed to find the stubborn 5 year old awake on the floor messing with her toys.

"Charlotte! Why are you playing with your toys at this hour? You should be in bed !" Matthew commented his voice slightly raising towards the end.

Little Lottie looked startled as she heard her papa from the doorway.

"Sorry papa...it's just I couldn't sleep...a a and you always say not to bother mama at night!" The little girl stammered slightly as she tried to form words.

His gaze softened a little as he took in his young daughters appearance, he walked across the room, picked his little girl up and carried her over to her bed. Gently he put her down, made sure she was all tucked in with her toys them wandered again across the room to find a book to read to her. This always seemed to calm her down and get her to sleep considering how energetic she was in the day!

When he walked back over he found that she was quite cuddled up with her toys but she had made room for him to sit next to her. He kicked off his shoes and slid next to her, in an instant she was cuddling next to him with her favourite toy teddy bear she called Lily.

"What are we reading tonight papa?" Her soft sweet voice called out quietly in the dimly lit room."

Matthew looked down at his prefect daughter to see bright blue familiar eyes gazing up at him with her chestnut hair falling over her cute little face.

"Well pumpkin, I thought I would choose your favourite 'a teddy's bear picnic'. How does that sound?"

"Very well papa... Very well indeed." She spoke trying to sound posh and grown up.

Matthews rich smooth voice carried through the room as he read the words of the page, trying his best to come up with different voices for each character. Halfway through the story he felt a light weight press against his shoulder, he turned his head to find his little angel asleep. He snuck out of the bed as quietly as he could and crept to the door returning the book and back and kissing her forehead in the process.

As be reached the door he heard an angelic voice call out.

"Goodnight papa."

"Goodnight sweetheart."

With that he switched the light off and closed the door. He then walked down to his own bedroom where he knew the comfort of another important women would be waiting for him.

**Well thanks for reading hope you enjoyed it ! This is my first fic so reviews would help a lot on whether or not to continue these short drabbles ? I was just so upset at the end of the CS so I thought I would write a cute moment about him with children. **

**Thanks !xx**


	2. Chapter 2

Mary woke just in time to see her children pounce on her and Matthew's bed, giggling with delight.

"Mama, papa, look its here, it's really here, it snowing!"

They jumped off the bed and ran to the window opening it and letting bright streams of light pour through the window.

She heard matthew groan beside her and heard him mumble a curse under his breath from the rude awakening he received.

Mary was hauled out of bed by two sets of arms and pulled over to the window to look at the thick blanket of white that covered the grounds of Downton.

"Look mama, isn't it pretty?" Asked her 6 year old daughter.

"Yes dear it is, how about you and Georgie go and get dresses and then we can go and play outside in the snow?"

"Okay mama!" Commented eight year old George.

He then ran out the room grabbing his sisters hand and their laughter could be heard running down the corridor.

Mary looked out through the window at the stunning view. She felt a pair of arms sneaking lazily around her waist.

"How long do you reckon we have until their dressed and ready?" Matthew mumbled into her hair.

"Not long dearest but we have to make the most of it, we haven't had snow like this in years and who knows when we will have it again?" She said turning around in his arms to face him.

"I suppose you're right" he then kissed her nose and wandered of to his dressing room to ring for Mosley.

1 hour later they were making there way across the front lawn George and Charlotte started to run not even fastening their coats off properly (much to their parents disapproval).

Hours later after Mary and Charlotte making countless snow angels and George and Matthew building a rather impressive fort Mary and Matthew decided to head in, but their kids had other ideas.

Just as they got to the door Mary felt something terribly cold and icy hit her neck she turned to find her two children holding snowballs. Without thinking she grabbed a handful snow turned then threw it at them, effectively hitting George on the leg.

Soon they were involved in a full on snow fight with the children against their parents. After about half an hour they were running out of snow and tactics.

So Matthew, knowing his children's weaknesses picked up Lottie swung her in the air then started tickling her sides making her squirm and scream.

"Papa...stop it please...papa!" She giggled furiously and making her surrender.

"We will want you next time mama and papa!" George stated firmly, still annoyed his little sisters tickling habits caused them to loose.

"We'll see darling we'll see" his mother said with a slight smirk on her face.

"We'll I think we are all in need of a nice warm bath and some hot cocoa, don't you agree darlings?" She added.

In seconds of her statement the kids were running off up the stairs towards the promise of a bath, leaving their parents in the hall.

"We'll that was rather a successful outing, wasn't it dear" Matthew said happy for the day out with his family.

"Yes it was but I'm more interested right now in finding away to get all these wet clothes of me" she said flirtatiously.

Matthew soon caught onto her meaning and quickly followed her up the stairs!

**TBC**

**Hope you enjoyed it ! Thanks for the great reviews and I promise to update soon !xx**


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